there was a rough tent for a temporary home.

By that time it was evening, and lanterns were being hung out here and
there, lamps lit in the shanties, and the place began to look more
lively. In two tents there was the sound of music--a fiddle in one, a
badly played German concertina in the other; but the result was not
cheerful, for whenever they were in hearing the great shaggy
sledge-dogs, of which there were scores about, set up a dismal barking
and howling.

The Cornishman's two friends had cheerfully elected to keep the camp, at
a word from their big companion, and the other three started to have a
look at the place and end by calling at the hotel upon their new
acquaintance.

As soon as they were a few yards away, the Cornishman laughed and
winked. "I can trust you, and I can trust Bob Tregelly, and that's me,
my sons; but I can't trust them two where there's whisky about. They've
sworn to me that they won't go amongst it, and I'm not going to let 'em.
Now then, I'm about to see if I can't find something to eat at a
reasonable price, and buy it. Have you lads got any money?"

"Yes, a little left," replied both.

"Then you'd better ware a pound or so the same way; biscuit and bacon
and meal, I should say. I'll meet you yonder at the hotel in an hour,
and we'll pick up what we can about the whereabouts of the stuff; but we
shan't want to stay here long, I expect. Will that do?"

"Yes, in an hour," said Dallas, and they separated.

There was not much to take the young men's attention, but they heard a
couple of men say that the ice was giving, and another was telling a
group of a man having come to the hotel who had done wonders up some
creek he and his mates had tried.

"Our friend, Bel," said Dallas; and soon after, without making any
purchases, from the inability to find what they wanted, they strolled
back just at dark towards the hotel.

"What a hole!" said Abel, as they approached the place, to find from the
lights, the noise, and clattering of drinking-vessels, that a tent which
had been stretched over a wooden frame was crowded, and a couple of men
in shirt-sleeves were busily going in and out from a side shed of
corrugated iron, attending on the assembled guests.

"Evening, gentlemen," said the elder of the two. "You'll find room
inside. Go right up the middle; there's more seats there."

Just then there was a shout of excitement, and the young men looked at
one another.

"It's all ri